Ying-Xiu Dai1, Ying-Hsuan Tai2, Chih-Chiang Chen3, Yun-Ting Chang1, Tzeng-Ji Chen4, Mu-Hong Chen5. 1. Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: kremer7119@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The relationship between alopecia areata (AA) and sleep disorders remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the bidirectional association between AA and sleep disorders. METHODS: To assess the risk of developing sleep disorders, we recruited 5648 patients with AA and 22,592 matched controls from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. Similarly, risk of developing AA was assessed in 93,130 patients with sleep disorders (including 7310 patients with obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] and 85,820 patients with non-apnea insomnia) and 372,520 matched controls. Cox regression model was used for the analysis. RESULTS: AA patients had a significantly increased risk of developing OSA (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.53-5.71) and non-apnea insomnia (aHR 4.20; 95% CI 3.68-4.79). Conversely, presence of sleep disorders significantly increased the risk of AA development (aHR 4.70; 95% CI 3.99-5.54). Both OSA (aHR 3.89; 95% CI 2.46-6.16) and nonapnea insomnia (aHR 4.77; 95% CI 4.03-5.64) were associated an increased risk of developing AA. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AA have a higher risk of developing sleep disorders compared to controls, and vice versa. Further studies are needed to investigate the shared pathogenic mechanism underlying these two conditions.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between alopecia areata (AA) and sleep disorders remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the bidirectional association between AA and sleep disorders. METHODS: To assess the risk of developing sleep disorders, we recruited 5648 patients with AA and 22,592 matched controls from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. Similarly, risk of developing AA was assessed in 93,130 patients with sleep disorders (including 7310 patients with obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] and 85,820 patients with non-apnea insomnia) and 372,520 matched controls. Cox regression model was used for the analysis. RESULTS: AA patients had a significantly increased risk of developing OSA (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.53-5.71) and non-apnea insomnia (aHR 4.20; 95% CI 3.68-4.79). Conversely, presence of sleep disorders significantly increased the risk of AA development (aHR 4.70; 95% CI 3.99-5.54). Both OSA (aHR 3.89; 95% CI 2.46-6.16) and nonapnea insomnia (aHR 4.77; 95% CI 4.03-5.64) were associated an increased risk of developing AA. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with AA have a higher risk of developing sleep disorders compared to controls, and vice versa. Further studies are needed to investigate the shared pathogenic mechanism underlying these two conditions.
Authors: Yuki M F Andersen; Lea Nymand; Amy M DeLozier; Russel Burge; Emily Edson-Heredia; Alexander Egeberg Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-02-16 Impact factor: 2.692